Let Them Eat Paste

The latest issue of Paste Magazine compiles tha magazine's 100 best living songwriters. As is typical with these sorts of lists, it's bound to provoke discussion and debate. Paste has better taste than most, so their list is better than most. A lot of the songwriters you'd expect to be here are: Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Paul Simon, and so on. Of course, the good thing about Paste is how in tune they are with independent music. So you'll also find the likes of Sam Beam (Iron & Wine), David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, Headphones), Over the Rhine, Sufjan Stevens, Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), and others. If I'm disappointed about anything (other than Bazan not being higher up the list), it's the serious lack of Hip-hop. No Lauryn Hill? No members of N.W.A.? No Eminem or Kanye West? Sage Francis? Sol*illaquists of Sound? There are several other folks missing, many of which make it to the readers poll version of the list. Anyways, as I said, it's an interesting list: 100. T-Bone Burnett 99. Andre Benjamin & Antwan Patton (Outkast) 98. Jay Farrar (Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo) 97. Josh Ritter 96. Jimmy Cliff 95. Patti Smith 94. Sam Phillips 93. Joseph Arthur 92. Alejandro Escovedo 91. Drive By Truckers (Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, Jason Isbell) 90. Nick Cave 89. Victoria Williams 88. Parliament (George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell) 87. Lyle Lovett 86. Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) 85. David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, Headphones) 84. John Linnel & John Flansburgh (They Might Be Giants) 83. Fleetwood Mac (Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie) 82. John Darnielle (Mountain Goats) 81. Wayne Coyne & Steven Drozd (Flaming Lips) 80. Pink Floyd (Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, Nick Mason) 79. Stephen Malkmus (Pavement, Silver Jews) 78. Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices) 77. Bruce Cockburn 76. Will Oldham (aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Palace Music, etc.) 75. Ron Sexsmith 74. Linford Detweiler & Karin Bergquist (Over the Rhine) 73. Julie Miller 72. Michael Jackson 71. Vic Chesnutt 70. Alex Chilton (Big Star, The Box Tops) 69. Merle Haggard 68. Allen Tousaint 67. Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) 66. Charles Thompson (aka Frank Black, Black Francis) (Pixies) 65. Bill Mallonee (Vigilantes of Love) 64. Andy Partridge (XTC, Dukes of Stratosphear) 63. Richard Thompson (Fairport Convention) 62. Sting (The Police) 61. John Hiatt 60. Jimmy Webb 59. Jack White (White Stripes, Raconteurs) 58. Sly Stone (Sly & the Family Stone) 57. Morrissey (The Smiths) 56. James Brown 55. Dolly Parton 54. Aimee Mann 53. James Taylor 52. Paul Westerberg (The Replacements) 51. Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham 50. Public Enemy (Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Hank Shocklee, Eric Sadler, et al) 49. Cat Stevens 48. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings 47. Sufjan Stevens 46. David Byrne (Talking Heads) 45. Jackson Browne 44. Al Green 43. Ryan Adams (Whiskeytown) 42. Loretta Lynn 41. Ray Davies (The Kinks) 40. Burt Bacharach & Hal David 39. Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham) 38. Kris Kristofferson 37. Smokey Robinson 36. Beck Hansen 35. Steve Earle 34. John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival) 33. Pete Townshend (The Who) 32. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller 31. Carole King 30. John Prine 29. Tom Petty 28. Robbie Robertson (The Band) 27. Radiohead (Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Phil Selway) 26. R.E.M. (Peter Buck, Bill Berry, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe) 25. Chuck Berry 24. Jeff Tweedy (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Golden Smog, Loose Fur, etc.) 23. Elton John & Bernie Taupin 22. Lucinda Williams 21. Lou Reed (Velvet Underground) 20. Van Morrison 19. Patty Griffin 18. U2 (Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton) 17. Holland-Dozier-Holland 16. David Bowie 15. Willie Nelson 14. Stevie Wonder 13. Paul Simon 12. Mick Jagger & Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones) 11. Randy Newman 10. Prince 9. Joni Mitchell 8. Elvis Costello 7. Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys) 6. Leonard Cohen 5. Paul McCartney (The Beatles, Wings) 4. Tom Waits & Kathleen Brennan 3. Bruce Springsteen 2. Neil Young (Buffalo Sprinfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) 1. Bob Dylan